Sputum cup



F. V. CUDEMO Mme 25, 19W.

Filed Jan. 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J Inventor F7. dude/770 A itomeys fi F. v. CUDEMO SPUTUM CUP Filed Jan. 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A iiomeys Patented June 25, 1940 UNITED STATE Application January 4,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to sputum cups, and has for the primary object the provision of a cup of the above stated character which may be economically manufactured from a blank made from inexpensive waterproof material and easily destroyed by burning and which may be readily set up in cup formation to provide a leak-proof article and which will maintain an upright balanced position so that it is not easily upset and if accidentally knocked over will to a great extent eliminate the spilling of the contents and which may be readily carried from place to place without placing the hand or fingers in direct contact with the cup and which embodies a handle which adds stability to the cup while resting on a support.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a cover and means for hinging the latter to the cup so that the cup will be normally closed and thereby rendered sanitary and which may be easily swung to an open position by pressure placed on the hinged end of the cover, the latter further being easily attachable and which may be made in different colors for denot- 9 ing different diseases when in use and is provided with identification spaces in which may be written or otherwise applied the name of the patient and other information pertaining to the patient, so that a record may be easily kept therefrom.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating diagrammatically a sputum cup equipped with a cover and constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the cup, with the cover applied thereto and showing the carrying means for the cup.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the device.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan View showing a portion of a cup partly folded.

Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating the blank from which the cup is made.

Referring in detail to the drawings. the numeral 5 indicates in entirety a sputum cup and 6 the cover therefor. The cup and cover and all associated parts which will be hereinafter described are constructed of waterproof burnable material so that after the cup has been once used it may be readily destroyed,

The cup ii consists of a bottom wall A, pairs of upstanding walls B and C, the walls B being op- 1939, Serial No. 249,321

posed and the walls C being opposed. The walls B and C are connected by foldable portions D also having integral connection with said walls. :I'he blank from which the walls and connecting portions are made is indicated in entirety by the character 1 being foldable on the dotted lines 8. When the blank l is folded on the dotted lines 8 to bring the walls Band. C in upright position, the connecting portions D are folded upon themselves and moved inwardly against the inner faces of the walls C. Flaps 9 are integral with the walls B and are adapted to be folded on the lines ill to partly overlie the connecting portions D and interlock therewith, as clearly shown in Figure 3, to maintain the walls B and C and connecting portions in cup formation. The flaps 9 are cut away, as shown at M, to provide tongues l2 for interlocking with the connecting portions when the latter are folded, this being clearly apparent in Figure 3. The flaps 9 have straight edges indicated by the character 9' adapted to engage with the inner faces of, the walls C when the cup is assembled and which act to hold the cup in shape.

The free edges of the foldable connecting portions D are cut so as to present angularly related edges It so that when the connecting portions are folded against the inner faces of the walls B the major portions of the inner faces of the walls C will be exposed and on which is suitably applied graduated scale markings indicated by the character It so that the contents of the cup may be measured.

An extension i5 is formed integrally with the upper edge of one of the walls C and has opposite edges thereof cut away to define tongues it. The extension i5 is for the purpose of connecting to the cup a cover ll adapted to completely overlie the cup when in a closed position. The cover ll projects beyond the upstanding walls of the cover and adjacent one edge is pro- ,vided with spaced slots l8 through which the extension i5 is passed several times, as shown in Figure 3, with the tongue I6 underlying the cover for efiiciently connecting the cover to the cup for hinging movement relative thereto. The extension i5 is foldable on the lines H) to permit the extension to be passed through one of the slots It from the under side of the cover and then passed through the other slot from the top side of the cover with the tongues l6 underlying the cover to prevent the extension from accidentally working out of the slots. Further, it will be seen that the extension being foldable on the dotted lines l9 presents a substantially horizontal portion on which the cover may fulcrum while hinging for opening and closing the cup. A slight pressure on the hinged end of the cover will swing said cover into an open position to substantially open the cup for use.

llli

lit

The extension I5 being folded on the lines l9 acts to align the cover so that it will not have excessive play from side to sideduring the move ment of the cover into its open and closed positions. Also, the extension I5 extending outwardly from the cup, has a natural tendency to assume its normal or former position before being bent which acts to provide a spring-like action for assisting in keeping the cover in cup closing position.

Handle forming parts are integral with a pair of the connecting portions D and are foldable on the lines 2| to provide portions 22, 23 and 26. When the connecting portions D are folded the portions 22 are arranged between the folds thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 4, and the portions 23 are brought to overlie and parallel the outer face of one of the walls C,'as shown in Figure 2. with the portions 26 extending at right angles thereto and lying in close relation to each other to form a finger grip 21. One of the portions 26 has a finger Opening 28 and the other portion 26 has struck therefrom a tongue 29 which also provides a finger opening 30 aligning with the finger opening 28 so that a finger of a hand may be readily passed through the finger grip for the purpose of carrying the cup from one place to another without the fingers or hand coming in direct contact with the cup. One of the portions 23 has spaced slots 3| through which the tongue 29 is passed, as shown in Figure 2, for holding the handle providing portions 20 in assembled position. C'ertain'edges of the portions 23 are so cut as to lie substantially in a plane with the plane of the bottom wall to provide a rest coacting with the bottom wall in maintaining the cup in an upright position on a support which to a great extent will prevent the cup from being accidentally tipped over when on a support such as a table or floor.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that a sputum cup has been provided wherein the mouth thereof is comparatively large in dimension so that the cup may be readily used by a patient and that the cover can be readily swung to an open position to permit use of the cup and allowed to close increasing the sanitation of the cup. Furthermore, it will be seen that the patient may conveniently lift or carry the cup through the use of the finger grip and which aids in supporting the cup in an upright position. A cup constructed as described may be manufactured economically from a blank, as shown in Figure 5, and easily folded into cup formation and have the cover applied thereto. The latter may be of different colors for denoting different kinds of diseases and having markings thereon to provide spaces for the name of the patient and other information relative to said patient.

It is to be understood that the blank may be constructed minus the handle forming portions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

It is believed that the simplicity and advantages of this invention will be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, and while I have herein set forth a satisfactory embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of my claims may be resorted to when desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A sputum cup comprising a foldable blank to provide integrally connected bottom and upstanding walls deflning a cup fully open to permit free use thereof, a cover for said cup and having spaced slots, an extension integral with one of the upstanding walls and provided with folds to permit lacing thereof through said slots and includes oppositely extending tongues projecting beyond the ends of one of the slots.

2. A sputum cup comprising a bottom wall, upstanding walls integrally connected to the .bottom wall, foldable connecting portions integrally connecting said upstanding walls, flaps formed on certain of said upstanding Walls and foldable to partly overlie the foldable connecting portions and to interlock therewith and substantially exposing the inner faces of certain of said other upstanding walls on which are applied measuring markings, an extension integral with one of said upstanding walls and including foldable portions and locking ears, a cover having spaced slots for the extension to fold through in opposite directions with the ears underlying the cover and thereby hingedly and detachably connecting the cover on said last-named upstanding wall.

3. A sputum cup comprising a bottom wall, upstanding walls integrally connected to the bottom wall, foldable connecting portions integrally connecting said upstanding walls, flaps formed on certain of said upstanding walls and foldable to partly overlie the foldable connecting portions and to interlock therewith and substantially exposing the inner faces of certain of said other upstanding walls on which are applied measuring markings, an extension integral with one of said upstanding walls and including foldable portions and locking ears, a cover having spaced slots for the extension to fold through in opposite directions with the ears underlying the cover and thereby hingedly and detachably connecting the cover on said last-named upstanding walls, handle forming portions integral with certain of said connecting portions and including folded parts to present apertured finger grips arranged at right angles to one of the upstanding walls.

4. A sputum cup comprising a bottom wall, upstanding walls integrally connected to the bottom wall, foldable connecting portions integrally connecting said upstanding Walls, flaps formed on certain of said upstanding walls and foldable to partly overlie the foldable connecting portions and to interlock therewith and substantially exposing the inner faces of certain of said other upstanding walls on which are applied measuring markings, an extension integral with one of said upstanding walls and including foldable portions and locking ears, a cover having spaced slots for the extension to fold through in opposite directions with the ears underlying the cover and thereby hingedly and detachably connecting the cover on said last-named upstanding walls, handle forming portions integral with certain of said connecting portions and including folded parts to present apertured finger grips arranged at right angles to one of the upstanding walls, one of said finger grips having an opening and the other finger grip having a tongue struck therefrom to form a finger opening, one of said handle forming portions having slots to receive the lastnamed tongue.

FRANK V. CUDEMO. 

